BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — No. 14 LSU’s game with surging South Alabama features one coach who played Louisiana high school football and grew up going to Tiger Stadium against a coach from Boston who didn’t move down South until he was 60 years old.
Baton Rouge native Major Applewhite will be the visitor in his old home town, and the Jaguars first-year coach knows exactly what to expect when he faces Brian Kelly’s Tigers in Death Valley on Saturday night.
“Every Saturday that I could, I was over there in the south end zone watching every LSU game that I could,” Applewhite said, clarifying that he “didn’t grow up an LSU fan, but I pulled for LSU every time they weren’t playing Alabama.”
“I love Tiger Stadium. All my friends were LSU fans,” added Applewhite. “Loved growing up there. It was just a great experience.”
He’d like to add another positive memory of Death Valley this weekend. Although that will be a tall order, recent history shows he and South Alabama have a chance.
Applewhite, who played QB in college for Texas, was South Alabama’s offensive coordinator a year ago when they went to Oklahoma State and stunned the Cowboys, 33-7.
During the past two weeks, the Jaguars (2-2) have scored a whopping 135 points against Northwestern State and Appalachian State combined.
“This will be a great challenge for us,” Kelly said, describing the Jaguars as “a team that’s coming in with nothing to lose, but certainly a team that is very capable in a lot of areas — very athletic, outstanding in terms of their schemes, well coached.”
LSU (3-1) is coming off a 34-17 victory over struggling UCLA in which the Tigers pulled away with a solid second half after a shaky first 30 minutes.
But the Tigers lost their biggest defensive star when Harold Perkins Jr. tore his right anterior cruciate ligament while making a tackle in the fourth quarter.
That’s the second prominent player on the Tigers’ defensive front to be lost for the season. Top defensive tackle Jacobian Guillory tore his Achilles in Week 2 against Nicholls State.
“Our players clearly understand in this game that that you’re going to get injuries,” Kelly said. “We’re not going to lose our identity or fall apart.”
Sharing the ball
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was named SEC offensive player of the Week after completing 32-of-44 passes for 352 yards and three TDs against UCLA.
Nussmeier produced with democratic distribution of the ball, completing passes to nine players. One was tight end Mason Taylor, who became LSU’s most productive receiving tight end in history (99 career catches for 999 yards).
“This year, it can go to anybody,” Kelly said. “You add the tight end into the mix as your leading receiver right now, it’s very difficult to defend us.”
Dual threat
South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez has been productive passing and running, with 843 yards and nine TDs through the air to go with 171 yards and two TDs rushing.
At LSU, he’ll face a defense that has been prone to giving up big plays, including a 75-yard scoring run to South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers two games ago.
Resetting the defense
Perkins’ absence will mean a shuffled lineup and different substitution patterns for LSU’s defense.
When the Tigers field three traditional linebackers, senior reserve West Weeks would take over in the middle while his younger brother, Whit, will play on the strong side with senior Greg Penn on the weak side, Kelly said.
In passing situations, LSU could remove a linebacker or two in favor of a defensive back and a hybrid “star” position player with the speed to cover receivers and the tackling ability to help against the run.
Perkins, an AP Preseason All-America selection, had the uncommon combination of size, strength and speed to effectively defend runs and passes. Kelly noted his roster doesn’t include any other players quite like him.
Going deep
LSU’s vertical passing game could get a boost this week with the expected return of receiver Chris Hilton, who has yet to play this season because of a bone bruise in his ankle.
“We need Chris Hilton back, and this seems to be the week,” Kelly said. “If we can add that vertical passing game, another element to it, I think it just makes it even better.”
The Tigers’ deep passing game got another boost last week from Kyle Parker, who made his first catch — a 45-yard TD —- since hurting his elbow in Week 1.
“He made the play, and that was one of the worst (celebration) dances that I’ve ever seen,” Kelly said with a grin. “He looked like me dancing, so we’re going to work on that next.”
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